


Courting a King

by treya_barton



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Beginning of Forever Zine, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29450685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: This is the piece I wrote for the Beginning of Forever Zine: https://twitter.com/OlderPromptis.  The zine centered around 30+ Promptis in a world where Noctis survives and gets his happy ending.  My piece centers around Prompto trying to figure out how to properly court his best friend and king.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39
Collections: Beginning of Forever - An older Promptis Fan Project - Zine Submissions





	Courting a King

Prompto returned to the apartment he shared with his best friend and set down his travel bag before collapsing onto their comfortable couch. They had salvaged it from the Citadel – after rooting around in one of the rooms used for storage they had discovered Noctis’s old furniture from his old apartment and used it for the new apartment they shared. The Citadel was still a mess, but Prompto had a feeling even when it was fully repaired his best friend would probably stay where they were at. There were just too many unpleasant connections to it between his father’s death and Noctis’s own death and revival after he defeated Ardyn. 

Prompto felt his weary muscles began to relax after days out on the road, exploring Lucis’s territory and photographing the relief efforts. He acted as intel, able to go out and travel while Noctis and Ignis focused on rebuilding Insomnia and aiding relief efforts. They were also tasked with creating a strategy for how to run the government after 10 years of destabilization and the fall of all prior forms of government. Noctis was still king in title and treated with reverence after saving the world, but he wanted to move things in a different direction with elected leadership. He no longer had his connection to the crystal, so his divine right no longer existed; he was ready, once things had settled down, to finally rest.

And Prompto planned on honoring his promise made back in Niflheim. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at his long bangs as he thought about his future. During the 10 years of darkness, all he had really thought about was survival and seeing Noctis again. He hadn’t been able to plan for the future. When Noctis died he had been devastated by grief, and when he had miraculously been revived, no doubt through some manipulation on Shiva or Carbuncle’s part, they had been so focused on rebuilding and relief efforts they hadn’t had time to think about the future. Prompto knew Noctis wanted something simple – hell, he would be happy running a tackle shop and getting to fish all the damn time – and he figured he could continue to take photographs, maybe work for Vyv who had managed to survive and seemed interested in documenting the new Eos.

Prompto hummed to himself as his fingers twiddled with a strand of hair, and he tried to get his mind to stop dancing around the one topic he really needed to address. And that topic was his feelings for his best friend. Prompto flushed, the red blossoming under his freckles which had returned with the sun. He and Noctis had been dancing around their feelings for years, and other than a long hug that had lasted longer than probably appropriate when Noctis had returned and the fact when Prompto was home he and Noctis always shared a bed, cuddling close but not quite crossing the line, they had not truly addressed it. They had been too busy, Noctis’s return was too new, and if Prompto was honest he didn’t know what to do now that they finally had a chance to explore them.

He had gone so long denying his feelings, first when Noctis was engaged to Lunafreya, and then later when he returned and Prompto knew his fate. There had been a small window after Prompto had been saved in Niflheim where he had realized based on Noctis’s reaction to almost losing him that their feelings were in fact mutual, but Noctis had disappeared into the Crystal before they could address it. Prompto chewed on his lip before sitting up abruptly with a loud sigh. He had returned home in the middle of the day, so Noctis was with Ignis working on relief efforts while Gladio was overseeing some of the rebuilding efforts in the city. No one knew he was back yet – cell coverage was spotty at best out on the road and they didn’t know how long it would take for Prompto to reach each destination. 

Fortunately, rebuilding efforts had been coming along better than expected and he hadn’t had too much difficulty on road. Prompto had taken to riding around on Cor’s motorcycle; the Marshal was sticking to Insomnia, no doubt wanting to keep a watchful eye on Noctis after losing his king once, and had been more than happy to lend it to him. Since he was back so early, he had time to kill before his next planned trip. Prompto pondered what to do before an idea hit him. He got up from the couch with a groan, his tired muscles not happy with him moving before he really had time to rest, and pulled up the contacts on his phone before selecting Gladio’s name. He would normally call Ignis for something like this, but since the Chamberlain was probably with Noctis he figured Gladio was the safer choice.

“Hey,” Gladio’s gruff voice answered shortly after the first ring. “How’s it going?”

“I’m good. Just got back to Lucis,” Prompto replied.

“Already? Wasn’t expecting you back for a few days. Tell Noct yet?”

“I wanted to surprise him,” Prompto replied. “Where are you?”

Gladio was quiet for a moment, obviously catching on to the fact Prompto seemed nervous about something. He gave Prompto his location, and the photographer let him know he would be heading over before hanging up. Prompto’s heart was pounding in his chest as he grabbed the keys to Cor’s bike and headed outside. He was starting to form a plan on what he wanted to do, but he wanted to gather some ideas first before he got around to making it a reality. 

He found Gladio just where he said he would be, at the Citadel directing the cleanup efforts. They planned on turning the Citadel into the seat of the new government once Ignis and Noctis had it finalized, but it would also double as a memorial to all those lost during the fall of Insomnia and the 10 years of darkness. Gladio’s hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and his rippling muscle was clearly defined by his tight tank top and his form fitting jeans. He was glistening with sweat as he barked orders, and it was obvious by the amount of dust covering him he had been doing his fair share of the work as well.

“Hey Gladio,” Prompto greeted. The older man turned and they clasped hands in greeting before patting each other on the back and pulling apart. Prompto was also wearing a tank, and while he no longer wore his wristband, he still liked to wear the bandana around his bicep. His jeans were not flashy like his Crownsguard uniform, but he wore the same boots, finding them comfortable after all this time. 

Gladio ruffled his hair, causing Prompto to glare at him, before letting out a chuckle. “What brings you here?” he asked. “Something on your mind?”

“Are you able to take a break? Don’t want to interrupt if you’re busy…” Prompto chewed on his lip as he looked out at the carefully controlled chaos buzzing around them.

“Yeah, they can handle things on their own,” Gladio said. He called Monica over, turning things over to her, and walked Prompto over to a nearby food truck that the volunteers usually went to for lunch.

They grabbed themselves a bite to eat before finding a seat at the folding tables and chairs set up around the truck. They ate in silence, Gladio patiently waiting for Prompto to gather his thoughts. Finally, Prompto started by asking, “Do you know what the proper court etiquette is for courting a member of the royal family?”

Gladio set down his chopsticks in surprise before staring Prompto down for a moment, considering his words. A wide grin spread across his face. “It’s about damn time,” he said, leaning back in his chair before considering Prompto’s question. “Usually the suitor sends a portrait over to garner their intended’s interest,” he mused. “Honestly, most of the time the families have already been planning the engagement so it’s really done out of formality.”

Prompto did remember Noctis receiving Lady Lunafreya’s portrait. She looked gorgeous, and they had it sitting in their apartment next to a portrait of Regis in their memory. He had been torn in his youth, looking up to her for spurring him to become Noctis’s friend while also feeling some small jealousy at their connection and the fact they were to wed. He knew how much Noctis cared about her, and had not realized the extent of his feelings for himself. That had become obvious when he had been more torn when he thought he had lost Prompto than when Lunafreya had given her life to protect his.

Prompto wasn’t entirely sure how he could get a portrait done – was there any place that would have canvas or paint supplies or anyone available with the skill to paint a portrait? Honestly, who would have time for that right now with rebuilding efforts. “Anything else?” he asked hopefully, and Gladio brought his hand to his chin in thought.

“My dad once told me a story about when Regis was courting Aulia,” he said after a moment. “Apparently, every day he would send her flowers until she agreed to become his consort.”

Prompto’s face fell. After 10 years of darkness, flowers were incredibly rare. Anything kept alive in greenhouses were being used for breeding purposes in order to try to cultivate them, so trying to get some for a bouquet would be selfish. He let out a sigh before pushing his food around in its container with his chopsticks. Gladio rested his head on his hand as he regarded his friend.

“Something the matter?” he asked, and Prompto frowned.

“I just…wanted to do something special,” he muttered. “Something proper – Noct deserves that.” He bit his lip. “But with the way things are…”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Gladio said returning to his food. “Put that creative mind of yours to work. You have some time.”

Prompto hummed as he took another bite of his food. He did have time before his next trip. His eyes narrowed in thought as an idea struck him. A slow smile spread across his face. “Hey, Gladio, can I stay at your place for a few days?”

Gladio raised an eyebrow. “I take it you’re not going to let Noct know you’re back yet?” he asked. Prompto shook his head. 

“Iris can keep a secret right?” he asked.

“If it’s for Noct’s happiness, yeah,” he grunted. “Plus, I think she’s ready to see you both finally get together.”

“Great,” Prompto said, jumping up. “I gotta grab my stuff before Noct gets back and sees it. I’m going to go scrounging for supplies too. See you tonight!” He rushed off, half of his food still uneaten, and Gladio shook his head. Ignis would have given him a tongue lashing for wasting food and forgetting to eat, but Gladio held his tongue and instead scooped the rest of Prompto’s food into his container to finish. He’d make sure the blond ate properly that night.

Several days later, Noctis was sitting in his father’s old office after a council meeting, looking through paperwork while trying to keep his mind off the fact it had been almost a week since he had last heard from Prompto. He knew that Prompto could take care of himself, but he couldn’t help but feel worried. Based on his tentative timeline, he should be back any day now. Noctis would feel relieved having his best friend back, and he pondered over their current arrangement, fingers drumming on his desk as he considered their relationship. They had a lot of unresolved tension and had been too busy to address it. However, things were starting to improve enough where Noctis thought it was finally time for them to confront their feelings. He was nervous, but an overwhelming part of him couldn’t help but look forward to finally being with his best friend.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door; Noctis could tell by the sharp raps that it was Ignis. “You can come in,” he called, and the door opened. His Chamberlain and his Shield both stepped inside, Gladio closing the door behind him. Noctis’s brows furrowed as he realized they were both carrying something. Ignis had a covered portrait, while Gladio was carrying a vase of paper flowers. The flowers were well crafted, and were in the shape of sylleblossoms and sunflowers, the deep blue and bright yellow a stunning contrast. 

“What’s all this?” Noctis asked as his retainers walked over to his desk. Gladio set down the vase while Ignis continued to hold the portrait.

“You have a potential suitor who would like to share their portrait with you,” Ignis explained. Both Gladio and Ignis had neutral expressions – Noctis couldn’t tell if this was a joke or if they were being serious.

Noctis grit his teeth in annoyance. “Well, I’m not interested,” he replied. There was only one person he wanted as a suitor – he wouldn’t entertain anyone else.

Noctis noticed Ignis’s lips twitch and Gladio turn his head to avoid giving away the change in his expression. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully before trailing back to the vase of paper flowers. He vaguely remembered his father telling him about how he had sent his mother flowers when they courted. “Sylleblossoms and sunflowers seem like an odd combination,” Noctis murmured. Sunflowers reminded him of…

Noctis’s eyes snapped over to the covered portrait. He leaned forward to lift up the cloth covering it, but was stopped as Gladio reached his arm over to stop him. “I thought you didn’t care?” he asked, voice light, but Noctis could tell something was up.

“Step aside, Gladio,” Noctis growled, and Gladio smirked before moving his arm away. Noctis tugged at the cloth, sliding it down and revealing a photograph of Prompto wearing his Kingsglaive attire. His breath caught in his throat, and he stood up with a start.

“Where is he?” he demanded, and Gladio looked over at Ignis who subtly shook his head. Gladio shrugged his shoulders in response, and Noctis clicked his tongue before pulling out his phone. Prompto’s phone rang, but to his annoyance his best friend didn’t answer.

Noctis rushed out of the office, calling over his shoulder to Ignis and Gladio to clear his schedule and hold onto his portrait and flowers – he would return later for them. He hurried to his apartment, glad that it was pretty close to the Citadel. He opened the door to find Prompto there, nervously pacing about their living room.

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Noctis asked, as he strode over to his best friend. Prompto looked refreshed – it was obvious he had been home a few days to rest – and Noctis didn’t know whether to be happy to see him looking so good or irritated he had hidden his return.

Prompto had jumped at his sudden appearance, and quickly explained. “I didn’t hear it ring. I had gone to a meeting earlier to report my findings to Monica and Cor and turned it off.” His eyes stared at Noctis, looking him over in the black suit he wore when conducting business, his beard more trimmed than when he had first returned and hair neatly parted. He looked gorgeous, and Prompto was unable to speak for a moment. He then shook his head. “Why are you home so early?” he asked. He hadn’t been expecting Noctis to return for another few hours.

Noctis let out an annoyed huff. “I wanted to meet my suitor in person,” he replied. “See if he was up to standard.” He was unable to hold back a smile, his eyes shining with affection as he gazed at the person he cared about most in Eos.

Prompto nervously gripped the back of his head. “So…what do you think?” he asked.

Noctis’s smile widened. “The King approves,” he replied, before stepping closer and pulling Prompto into his arms. His best friend’s blue violet eyes gazed at him in wonder, and his precious freckled cheeks tinged pink at their sudden closeness.

“Does he now?” Prompto asked, voice lightly teasing, and Noctis reached out to place his hand on Prompto’s jaw. His fingers brushed the goatee on his chin which felt scratchy, but while Noctis had originally teased him about it the look had grown on him. Prompto wrapped both arms around Noctis’s neck, eyes trained on him, expression warm and open as he waited.

Noctis, never good with words, leaned forward to show Prompto how he felt instead, eyes sliding closed as he gently pressed their lips together. Prompto met him halfway, giving Noctis a moment to grow used to the feeling before tilting his head so they could fit together more comfortably. Their first kiss felt comforting, and Noctis relaxed in Prompto’s embrace, his anxiety fading now that Prompto was safely at his side. “I love you,” Prompto sighed at his lips, finally letting slip the words he had always wanted to say.

Noctis pulled back, cradling Prompto’s face in both hands, his fingers sliding into his soft hair. “I love you too,” he replied, gaze soft. “I think you have something to ask me though.”

“Noctis Lucis Caelum, will you marry me?” Prompto asked, and Noctis smiled before moving in for a second kiss, this one a little sloppier and full of passion as they desperately slated their lips together.

Once they pulled away to catch their breath, he nodded his head. “In case that wasn’t clear enough, the answer’s yes.” Prompto smiled, the bright, dazzling smile that always set him at ease, before pulling him to the couch so they could begin planning their future together.


End file.
